1900-02-28-New York Tribune-Characteristics of A. H. Tarbet
Characteristics of A. H. Tarbet
- New York Tribune, 28 February 1900, p. 9, c. 3
Robert Murray, of Salt Lake City, In speaking of Utah affairs, at the Waldorf-Astoria yesterday said "There is more or less of a con- test over the Senate seat now going on between the Mormon and the Gentile forces in Utah, and from present indications this may result in a compromise on the Democratic side and Alexander Hamilton Tarbot, of Salt Lake City, re ceiving the nomination.
"Mr. Tarbet. who is. by the way. a cousin of Chief of Police Devery. of this city, has had a most interesting career, and although still a young man his life has been crowded with experience. His father, who was the original mining raan of Utah, owned the Flagstaff Mine, and started the litigation Involving extra- lateral rights, which has since become of. such enormous importance to mine owners throughout the country. Tarbet, the son, passed hia earlier years in Utah, going from there to Butte, Mont., where he early became the superintendent and lessee of the Green Mountain Mine. He was then the youngest mine superin tendent in the world, being only sixteen years of age. Through not going down deep enough, how ever, he failed to make money out of the venture. and was made superintendent of the Bele Mine, now the great Bele Mine of th* Amalgamated com pany Here his genius manifested Itself, and he was extremely successful. It had been up to this time the c latom to haul the ore in double span mule teams from the mines to the smelters* on the flat, but Tarbet constructed a road from the Parrott Mine to the smelters which ran b> gravity. The mules which hauled the empty cars back "to the mine stood on platforms constructed for the pur pose at the rear of the cars during the descent. This railroad, in proportion to ita cost, has been be yond question the must successful ever con structed, '■ ron an rlglnaJ outlay or %Z.<Ji*> it paid over J2C«J.OJO in dividends before lta iiay of useful ness came to ar. end.
"From Butta Tarbet moved on to Portland. Ore., and bought an interest in the town of Albina, ar.d from Oregon he went In to what has since be come the great Rossland mining district of British Columbia. Together with Oliver Durand he then secured possession of the Le Ro!. War Easle Centre Star, Josie and Idaho mines. All but the Centre Star they sold at ridiculously low figures. For instance, the Le Roi. which they sold fur |»<5 OCO. is to-day Belling on a baeis of J0, 000.000. The Centre S:ar, Tarbet and his associates sold last fall for J2.0U0.C00. 'The Inter Mountain Catholic.' pub lished at Sa:: Lake, Is his property. Personally he Is a delightful man. aivl if he goes to the Senate it wiil be an advantage to his State, and to the country at iiirge. for to nil duties then» he will bring great ability, coupled with an intensity of purpose that leads him to master all things tioroua;hly in which he takes an interest. For example, when a grown man and on t6e road to wealth Tarbet felt the need of further education in ais chosen pro fession, so he came to Nt-w-York and went through and w?-* graduated from the Columbia School of Mines."
